Grace Machine Quilter Shines

A review of Grace Machine Quilter from The Grace Company

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The Grace Company, famous for its hand-quilting frames, is a serious contender for "leader of the pack" in the short-arm quilting sytems race. At $900 MSRP, their Grace Machine Quilter is the most expensive of the short-arm systems, but it definitely raises the bar in this product category for features and quality.

Read my review of the SuperQuilter

Read my review of the Handi Quilter

The Grace Machine Quilter, a table and frame made from birch plywood that transports your home sewing machine across the surface of your quilt while you do free-motion quilting, includes features the others don't have.

The most obvious is the bi-level carriage with three pairs of handles so you can work using different hand positions from either side of the frame. This feature comes on most of the larger long-arm systems, but Grace is the first to include it in a short-arm quilting system.

Foot-Pedal Problem Solved

The Grace Machine Quilter also accommodates your sewing machine's foot pedal. Most other manufacturers don't, leaving you to kick or drag the foot pedal along the floor as you quilt.

Grace provides a shelf on the upper level of the carriage for the foot pedal to ride along with the movement of the sewing machine. Each of the three pairs of handles sports a link to the foot pedal through a series of gears and levers.

You squeeze and hold the foot pedal lever to one handle while you guide the carriage around the quilt. This lets you use both hands to guide the sewing machine instead of using one hand for the foot pedal.

Table Included

The other main difference in the Grace Machine Quilter is that Grace includes the table. This feature certainly accounts for the higher price and lets Grace call their system "all-inclusive" (even though you can purchase optional items for it).

The table, without any leaves, measures 70 inches. This size accommodates most wall hangings, baby, and crib-size quilts. The included leaf extends the tabletop to 104 inches, which will handle quilts up to queen-size. An additional leg is provided to support the middle of the table when the leaf is inserted.

If you plan to do king-size quilts, you will need to buy an optional table leaf and rail extensions.

Built-In Tracks

The Grace Machine Quilter has solved the track placement dilemma that other short-arm quilting systems have by embedding the tracks into the tabletop. The tracks are flush with the surface of the table, preventing damage to the tracks or to the quilts you are working on. And because the tracks are built in, you don't have to worry about getting them properly aligned when you set up the system.

For me, at 5'5" tall, the table height is perfect. The carriage's horizontal handles are at waist height for me, and the vertical handles are at chest height.

If you are taller than I am, you can order optional table-leg extensions to raise the entire frame up a few inches. That should be enough to bring your work and and the carriage's handles to a more comfortable position.

But enough about the table -- Grace designed all the other features that make up a short-arm quilting system with equal attention to detail.

Three Round Rails

The three round rails that hold the quilt top and the backing and take up the finished quilt are thick-walled aluminum, like the rails that hold RV awnings. Each has a groove running lengthwise along the rail that holds the leader fabric to which you attach the quilt sandwich.

The edge of the leader fabric is inserted into the groove of the rail along with a 1/8" wood dowel to keep it in place. The leader fabric and the dowel are included.

All three rails attach to frame ends to create a large, rigid frame. Upright supports on the table ends have long grooves to hold the frame ends. These grooves allow you up to 8" for adjusting the height of the frame.

One frame end uses three ratchet wheels to control the tension on the rails. To assemble the frame, you simply put one end of each rail into the center of a ratchet wheel.

The other frame end contains three diagonal grooves into which you slide the other ends of the rails. Removing and installing the rails is quick and easy -- you don't have to undo screws or pins.

Little Things To Like

The Grace Company clearly took the time to think of the nice-to-have little things that every machine quilter would like.

For example, they provide stops that you can place along the tracks to keep the carriage from progressing beyond a given point. There is a hole in the overhang of the bi-level carriage so you can install an optional goose-neck lamp to shine right on your work.

The side tension is handled with a two-piece wooden clamp that attaches to the rails. These clamps also have a fabric leader to attach the quilt to. The clamps move easily along the rails and lock into place, accommodating any size quilt or wall hanging.

The carriage has a full nine inches of in-and-out travel, so you can get the maximum use from your Brother PQ1500 or your Juki TL-98E, both of which have eight-inch beds.

Read my review of the Juki TL-98E

You can also buy an optional fourth rail to hold the batting. This rail mounts underneath the tabletop and gives plenty of clearance for big batting rolls.

A Few Drawbacks

Of course, the Grace Machine Quilter isn't perfect. If you use a Juki TL-98E, you'll miss one of my favorite features from using the Handi-Handles with the SuperQuilter: that clever extra lever that operates the thread cutter on the Juki TL-98E.

The system includes many pieces and dozens of nuts, bolts, and washers, so assembly takes at least two to three hours. And since the legs don't fold up like the banquet tables you put other short-arm quilting systems on, it's not an easy system to move from room to room.

And because the Grace system includes a table and many parts made from laminated wood, it weighs more than other systems and costs more to ship.

The Grace Company has entered the short-arm quilting system market at the right time and with a great product. The Grace Machine Quilter can only enhance their reputation as a quality frame builder. It isn't just another "me-too" product. It is well-designed and well-executed.

If you're considering a short-arm quilting system, be sure to test-drive a Grace at your local dealer before making your final decision.

I'd like to thank Russ Moline, who let me test the Grace Machine Quilter in his quilt shop, The Moses House. Using his engineering background, Russ was able to tell me a lot about the system that I might not have learned at another place. Thanks, Russ, for all the good information and insight!

Russ and Fran are the owners of The Moses House quilt shop where he sells the Grace Machine Quilter, Nolting long arm systems, Pfaff sewing machines, Elna sewing machines and Juki sewing machines, plus lots of great fabrics and one of the best selections of books in any shop I've seen. Russ also publishes books on redwork and long-arm patterns as well.

The shop is located at 423 Winchester St. in Keene, New Hampshire. You can call The Moses House at 603-352-2312, or you can find them online here.

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